Guardian Angel
by ellacj
Summary: Regina used to be an angel - until she was exiled. Then she meets Emma Swan. Together, they learn to trust one another and eventually realize their true feelings for each other. Regina is ultimately forced to choose between the life she left in her kingdom, and the life she's built for herself in Manhattan - a choice that could change everything. Slowburn, SwanQueen endgame.
1. Fall

Her hair was the color and brightness of the sun in July, and her eyes were like emeralds one could find buried beneath the ground.

Which is just a fancy way of saying she had blonde hair and green eyes.

However you said it, Regina knew from the moment she laid eyes on the woman that their destinies were somehow linked.

She almost approached her. Almost. But something stopped her. Regina's wings fluttered nervously as she watched the blonde woman and the young boy. They were both eating ice cream cones, laughing at some joke Regina had not heard.

A man approached them, kissing the woman briefly on the lips and ruffling the boy's hair. The woman looped her arm through his with the hand not holding ice cream, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked.

Regina turned away and retreated to the very end of the alley where she had landed, feeling her feathered wings envelope her in warmth. It was strange to see them black; it would definitely take some getting used to.

For the first time since her exile, Regina wept. She drew her knees up close to her chest, wrapping her wings around herself to completely block out the world.

It was her own fault she'd been exiled; that much she had accepted. In fact, she hated herself for being so selfish as to be exiled. Selfishness was absolutely not tolerated in the Enchanted Forest. She ran a hand down her blackened wings, feeling the absolute loathing for herself wash over her. She'd seen people in her kingdom with black wings before; the ones who were exiled before and had redeemed themselves enough to return. But she'd never imagined she'd ever be one of them.

"Hey, you okay?" a voice asked.

Regina's wings parted and folded neatly against her back Of course; human perception makes them invisible, Regina thought to herself. She looked up to see a man looking at her, concern written in his expression. She shook her head almost imperceptibly.

The man held out a hand, and she took it. He pulled her to her feet. "What's your name?"

"Abigail," Regina said quickly, naming her best friend. Well… former best friend anyway.

"I'm Robin." Robin grinned, looking Regina up and down. "You can't be homeless."

"And why's that?"

"You're too beautiful; too… put together."

"Well I am," Regina snapped bitterly.

"You looking for somewhere to stay?"

"No!" she exclaimed, not wanting this stranger to think she was helpless.

Robin defensively held up his hands. "All right, no need to get snippy; I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help."

"Sorry to bother you," Robin grumbled as he turned around and walked out of the alley.

Regina knew she had to find somewhere to stay; somewhere that wasn't a back alley in downtown Manhattan.

She sighed, folding her arms around her and walking slowly out of the alley. Her toes curled as her bare feet stung with every step on the cold gravel, and she shivered in the frosty night air.

She walked for maybe ten minutes before passing by a restaurant. She glanced inside, only to find her gaze trapped on the people sitting by the window.

It was the blonde woman and her boyfriend. The boy was there too, but he was focused on the gaming device in his hand, completely oblivious to his mother and her boyfriend.

The woman laughed, casually resting her hand on the man's shoulder as she did so. Then she turned her head.

Their eyes locked for just a moment before Regina turned away, wings curling around her, and walked quickly past the restaurant. She'd only made it a few steps, however, when she was stopped.

"Hey! Hey, wait!" a voice called behind her.

Regina stopped and turned around, seeing the blonde woman standing there. "Yes?"

The woman drew her red leather jacket around her, shivering in the cold. "Aren't you freezing?" she asked, gesturing to Regina's sleeveless black dress.

"Yes." Regina paused. "Why did you come out here?"

"I… I don't know. I saw you watching us."

"I'm sorry. You just looked so… happy. I've always been fascinated with happiness."

The woman frowned. "Are you saying you haven't felt it before?"

Regina shrugged, gesturing to her now-bleeding feet and torn dress. "Not much to be happy about."

The woman sighed. "Why don't you come inside and I'll buy you dinner?"

Regina's stomach growled at the thought of food, but she shook her head. "I couldn't ask that of you."

"You didn't. I offered. Just think of it as a debt. You'll pay me back someday."

"I… okay." She paused. "Thank you."

The woman smiled. "Of course. Although… you might need some shoes. They won't let you in without 'em."

Regina frowned. "I don't have any."

"You look about my size. Listen, I've got a pair of heels sitting in my purse in case Walsh and I decide to... do something after dinner. I can put those on and you can wear my boots."

Again Regina shook her head. "You're being too nice to me… we don't even know each other."

"What's your name?"

"Regina Mills." She hadn't meant to tell the woman her real name - it just came out.

"Emma Swan. Now we know each other. I'll be right back." Emma turned and went back into the restaurant.

She returned a minute later in black pumps with heels at least four inches tall, her worn brown boots in her hands. "Here you go. The socks are in the boots."

Regina smiled gratefully as she sat down on the cold pavement and pulled on the socks and boots. She laughed. "I look ridiculous; don't I?"

Emma smiled. "You look… beautiful," she said softly.

Regina blushed. Neither of them said anything for a bit; then Emma cleared her throat.

"Let's go in before you catch hypothermia."

Regina followed Emma into the warm restaurant, sitting down in the extra chair beside the boy.

"This is Walsh and Henry," Emma said, gesturing to her boyfriend and son in turn. "Guys, this is Regina."

Henry glanced up from his device with a quick smile. "Hi," he said simply before turning back to his game.

Walsh smiled warmly and shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"And you as well," Regina said. "Thank you so much for helping me tonight."

"It's our pleasure."

Emma frowned. "Regina… do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Regina blushed again. "Well, I… no, not really."

"You're welcome to stay with Henry and me at my place. I mean, if you want to."

"Oh, you've already done so much for me tonight; I don't know…"

Emma reached around her son and squeezed Regina's arm. "I won't be able to live with myself if I leave you without a warm place to sleep. Please come stay."

"How do you know I'm not some murderer?"

Emma looked thoughtful. "I don't."

Regina smiled. "I promise you I'm not."

Walsh cleared his throat, and Emma pulled her hand back into her lap. "So what do we all want to order?"

Emma turned the key in the lock, opening the door to her apartment and flicking on the lights. "It's not much," she said, slipping off her jacket and shoes. "But we like to call it home."

Henry hung his jacket up on the hook by the door. "Can I watch TV?" he asked.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Do you have homework?"

Henry pouted, but went into what must be his bedroom, snatching his backpack off of the kitchen table on his way.

"Sorry. He's got a bit of an attitude on him."

Regina smiled. "He's adorable. How old is he?"

"Just turned twelve."

"Sounds like he's just growing up."

"Unfortunately," Emma laughed. "So, I assume you don't have any pajamas on you?"

Regina held up her empty hands. "This is all I've got."

"You've got an awfully nice dress for someone who hasn't got anything else."

"I was thrown out… they left me with all I had on my back. I just happened to be wearing this."

"Who's 'they?'"

"My… family," Regina said, choosing her words carefully.

Emma nodded. "You can borrow some stuff for tonight. I'll be right back." She disappeared into a room down the hall and returned a moment later with a bundle of clothes in her hands. "Try those on. Bathroom is down the hall, second door on the right."

"Thank you." Regina went into the bathroom and changed into the clothes Emma had given her; a turquoise tank top and gray sweatpants. They fit perfectly, hugging her curves as perfectly as one could hope for.

She smiled weakly at herself in the mirror, running her hands through her long black curls before going back out into the living room.

Emma raised her eyebrows when she saw Regina, obviously appreciating the sight. "I thought that top looked good on me… but damn."

Regina giggled behind her hand. "Thanks."

"So you can sleep on the couch for tonight. Help yourself to anything if you get hungry."

Regina nodded. "Thank you. I know I keep saying it… but I mean it. Thank you."

Emma flashed her a crooked grin. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need; it's no trouble at all." She went down the hall to her bedroom. "Good night," she called without turning around, closing her door behind her.

"Good night," Regina whispered, smiling at the retreating figure of Emma's yoga pants-clad ass.

Regina shook her head, pushing the thought from her mind as she lay down on the couch, surprised at how soft it was. She fell asleep quicker than she'd anticipated, and it was a dreamless sleep that seemed to last only a second.

Regina awoke to the sounds of Emma and her son bustling around the apartment, getting breakfast and packing lunch and backpacks.

For a second – for one shining moment – she'd thought she was back in her kingdom, that it was all a dream, and a smile spread across her face. Her smile disappeared when she looked around and saw Emma's small apartment around her.

"Morning," Emma said, setting a mug of coffee on the table beside the couch for her. "Sleep well?"

Regina took the mug and held it in her hands, feeling the warmth emanate through her body. "All right. And you?"

Emma shrugged. "As ever."

"Thank you again for letting me stay over."

"Of course. Listen, I've got to go into the office after I drop Henry off at school, so…"

"Oh of course, I'll leave immediately." Regina stood up.

"You can come back," Emma said quickly. "I mean, when we get home, you can stay the night again. And um... if you don't wanna wear that dress around you can borrow something from my closet."

"How do you know I'm not just stealing your stuff overnight?"

"I don't. But I… I trust you."

Regina saw Henry's eyes widen behind his mother.

"Why?" Regina asked. Even in her own kingdom no one had trusted her. Why did Emma?

"I – I don't know what it is about you but you seem…" she paused, searching for the right word. "genuine."

"Genuine?" Regina had never heard that word used to describe her before.

"You know, sincere. Legit."

"Well I – thank you."

Emma smiled, holding Regina's gaze for a minute. Then she cleared her throat. "Come on, kid, it's time to go."

"But I'm not done yet!" Henry said, gesturing to his half-eaten bowl of Lucky Charms.

Emma rolled her eyes. "All right, come to the car when you're finished. I'm leaving in five minutes, with or without you."

Regina could tell she was bluffing, but Henry obviously believed it, as she started wolfing down his cereal at light speed as soon as Emma was gone.

When he'd finished, he stopped in front of Regina on his way out. "You're special, you know."

"What makes you say that?"

"My mom trusts you. She doesn't trust anyone. Not even Walsh."

"Really?"

"You wanna know a secret?" Henry asked with a mischievous grin. "I think she likes you." Henry walked out the front door without another word from either of them.

Regina felt her face redden. Emma couldn't like her, could she? No, of course not. Henry must have meant it platonically. Besides, Emma had a boyfriend. Even if she did like Regina – which she probably didn't – it could never happen between them. Never.


	2. Crash

**TRIGGER WARNING. THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES SEXUAL VIOLENCE.**

Regina decided she would walk around town until Emma got back. She went into what looked like Emma's bedroom and opened the first drawer of the dresser. Underwear. She felt guilty, but she knew she needed some.

She took a pair of simple black panties and a black bra to match.

The next drawer held an array of shirts and sweaters. Regina took a few out to look at, and ultimately decided upon a red sweater with a low scoop neck.

As for pants, she chose a simple pair of worn skinny jeans. Emma had taken her brown boots for the day, but Regina found another pair of boots - black ones - in the shoe closet by the front door.

After changing in the bathroom, Regina found Emma's makeup kit in the bathroom cabinets. She'd never worn makeup before.

"Why not?" she said aloud. She opened the bag, intending to apply some makeup, but the tools inside confused her to no end. What was this tube of black liquid? Was that some sort of torture device? Why the hell was there a _pencil_ in there? She sighed and put away the bag. Maybe she'd have Emma teach her later.

Regina brushed her hair and swept it into a high ponytail, examining herself in the mirror. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy; she'd almost certainly been crying during the night. She shook her head, ignoring her eyes. No one would notice, right? No one cared enough about strangers to notice.

She grabbed a pair of socks from Emma's drawer and went to the front door. She pulled on the boots. Smoothing her sweater, she went out into the hallway. There was a note taped to the door.  
_Please lock the door when you leave. I'll be back at five. My number is 641-0279 if you need anything. Have a good day :)_

_-Emma_

Regina felt herself smiling, and before she could stop herself, she carefully folded the note and slipped it into her bra - the jeans had fake pockets rather than real ones.. Now she'd just have to remember to take it out before she returned the jeans.

It wasn't until she got outside that she realized she had no money. She'd be starving. She almost went back up to the apartment before realizing that she'd locked it and she didn't have a key.

She sighed and ran a hand through her ponytail. She'd been hungry before. Back in the Enchanted Forest, the royals had to make sure everyone else got something to eat before they did. It was supposed to demonstrate the selflessness of those in power - all it did was send Regina to bed without dinner most nights. There was never enough for everyone.

So one night when she was particularly hungry, Regina snuck out after everyone was asleep and went to the kitchens. There was bread for the next morning sitting in a basket near the oven to keep it warm.

She only took two loaves, stuffing them under her shirt and hurrying back up to her room. The bread filled her growling stomach, and it was so delicious she'd finished it all in just a few minutes.

It was so delicious she went back the next night for more. And the next night. And the next.

She'd been stealing bread for a month before she got caught. She was exiled immediately.

A voice wrenched her out of the memory. "You okay?" the voice asked.

Regina looked up to see a man; the same man who'd talked to her the night before. "Robin," she said.

"Hey, you remembered me! Abigail, right?"

"Yes."

"Looks like you found someone to take care of you."

"Yes."

"Listen, I've got the day off today. Let me take care of you."

Regina hesitated. It's not like she could take care of herself. "Fine. But only for today."

Robin grinned. "That's all I ask." He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. They started walking.

Regina curled her lip, not looking forward to her day with Robin. "So what do you do for a living anyway?"

"I'm a lawyer. Well, studying to be one anyway. Hoping to own my own firm someday," he said wistfully. "Can't you picture it?" He held his hands up as though picturing a marquis. "Robin Hood, attorney at law." He smiled as he lowered his hands.

Regina snorted. _Robin_ _Hood_ seemed to have a majorly inflated ego.

"Well, what about you? Got any goals?"

Regina shook her head. "No, not really."

"Come on, everyone has goals."

"Look, I just want to be able to go home. Nothing more, _nothing less."_

Robin raised his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, sorry I asked." He pointed to a cafe across the road. "Want to get some coffee?"

Regina frowned. She'd never had coffee before - she was even too hesitant to try the mug Emma had given her that morning. But then - there was a first time for everything. She shrugged. "I suppose so."

Robin confidentally crossed the busy street, Regina hurrying to keep up. He ordered his own coffee first - cafe latte with two extra sugars - before turning to her. "What would you like?"

Regina stared at the menu above the barista's head, squinting at the names that sounded completely made up. "Just black I suppose," she decided finally.

"She'll have a coffee black," Robin repeated to the barista as though the girl hadn't heard Regina. _How cheavenistic of him_, she thought to herself. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the coffee shop; it was 10:06 in the morning. _Only seven more hours until I can ditch this douchebag and go back to Emma's._ She forced herself to smile as they collected their coffee and sat down at a table by the window.

"So, who are you staying with?"

Regina narrowed her eyes - she didn't want to give Emma and Henry away to Robin. "No one you'd know," she snapped, more rudely than she'd intended.

Robin raised his eyebrows at her hostility. "So I can't talk about your future; what about your past?"

"Nope."

"Family?"

"Haven't got any."

Robin frowned. "What do you mean? Everyone's got a family."

"Not me. Not anymore, anyway."

"Okay... what about your friends?"

"None of those either."

"Pets?"

"Dead."

"Okay, how about this: where are you from?"

Regina sighed. "That's my past, Robin."

Robin frowned.

"Why don't we just sit here?" Regina said. "Look out the window."

"Yeah, okay."

And they did. For about thirty seconds.

"You're a riddle," Robin said.

Regina looked at him, bristling with anger at having her thoughts interrupted. "What?" she hissed.

"You are a riddle wrapped in a mystery cloaked in an enigma."

"How... poetic of you." Regina had to stop herself from saying _pretentious_.

Robin gave her a cocky grin and traced the rim of his coffee mug with a finger. "You know, I, uh, I actually write poetry. In my spare time."

"Do you now?" Regina replied, feigning fascination.

"Yeah. And I may have just found my new inspiration."

Regina stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She brought her coffee mug to her lips; wincing as the now-cold liquid touched her tongue. It was bitter and watery, nothing like the taste she'd imagined from the warmth Emma's coffee had given her that morning. "Oh, this is absolutely vile!"

Robin chuckled. "It's an acquired taste. Although I wouldn't recommend coffee black to anyone; especially not someone like you."

"What do you mean, someone like me?"

"You seem like someone who likes quality. I like that."

Regina grimaced, but turned it into a smile. "Thank you."

"So, listen, I've got to get my kid a birthday present. You wanna come with?"

She sighed internally. What choice did she have? "I suppose."

Robin walked Regina back to his car - a black Jaguar, of course - and drove them to a toy store a few minutes away.

Hating the silence, Regina sighed. "How old is your son?" she asked, too brightly.

"He'll be eight next week. S'name's Roland."

Regina forced herself to smile. "He sounds lovely."

Robin nodded, for the first time since she'd met him showing some genuine emotion. "Yeah. Yeah, he really is."

Robin chose a remote control racecar for Roland, and he took Regina to lunch at a place called McDonald's. It wasn't the best food she'd ever had; but then, she came from a life of royalty.

When they finished eating, it was only 1:00. Robin took Regina back to his house. "I still can't believe you've never had mac and cheese. That's like - a crime!"

Regina shrugged. "I came from a life where we rarely had anything for dinner. Mac and cheese was never an option."

"Well, I'm about to rock your world."

Regina hesitantly followed him into the kitchen, chewing on her lip as he opened the pantry and set a box of macaroni on the counter.

"Before we eat, I want to show you something. Follow me. And take your shoes off," he added, gesturing to her boots.

She complied, leaving them in the kitchen. He led her to his bedroom and shut the double doors before turning to her.

"Come here." He pulled her into a tight embrace before she could protest, and his fingers pulled at her sweater, trying to lift it over her head.

Regina squirmed, trying to fight him off. She kicked him in the shin. He grunted and slackened his grip enough for her to slip away, but he latched onto her hair and pulled. Hard.

She shrieked in pain, stumbling backward and back into his hands. He pulled so hard on her sweater that the fabric ripped, and tore it the rest of the way off of her. Robin tossed it aside with a triumphant smile. Then he came at her with a pair of scissors and ripping a line down each leg of her pants, cutting deep enough to graze her leg and draw blood.

Tears poured from Regina's eyes as he pulled the shredded jeans off of her legs, leaving her in only her underwear. He grabbed at her breasts, roughly rolling them in his hands.

Regina bit down on his hand as hard as she could, releasing it when she tasted blood. He shouted and pulled his hand close to him.

Without hesitation, Regina bolted for the door, fumbling with the handle. She got it open just as Robin was running at her and slammed the door in his face. She leaned against the door as she pulled off her socks. She quickly tied the two door handles together before hurrying downstairs and grabbing the phone from its cradle.

She dug Emma's note out of her bra and dialed the number. "Emma?" she gasped as soon as Emma picked up the phone.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

"No," Regina said. "I know you're busy and I'm so sorry but I need you to come get me."

"What happened?"

"I... I'll tell you when you get here."

"Where are you?"

Regina poked around the kitchen before she found a piece of mail with the address on it. She read it off to Emma. "Please hurry," she added quietly. "I'm really scared."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Thank you," Regina whispered as she hung up. She stood by the front door, staring out the window and trying to distract herself from the sound of Robin trying to open his bedroom doors upstairs. She tiptoed up the staircase and snatched the desk chair from the room across the hall from Robin's - presumably his son's room.

Regina leaned the chair against the doors just beneath the door handles before hurrying back down the stairs.

Emma's yellow bug pulled up in front of the house a minute later. Regina grabbed Emma's boots from the kitchen and went outside to meet her.

Emma's eyes widened when Regina got in the car. "What happened to you?" she exclaimed. "Where are your clothes?"

Regina opened her mouth to explain, but all that came out was a choked sob. "I - there was this man, and he bought me lunch, and he was very sweet, and he brought me to his house and then he-" she broke off, taking a deep breath before continuing. "He tore my clothes off and he tried to touch me but I got away and locked him in his bedroom and then I called you."

Emma stopped the car and leaned over to wrap Regina in her arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "No one deserves anything like that to happen to them, especially not you. Come on, let's get you home."

"Don't you have to go back to work?"

"I told them it was a family emergency and they gave me the rest of the day off. Besides, I've got to take care of you. I promised. And I _never_ go back on a promise."

Regina smiled weakly. "Thank you."

"You know I'm definitely not letting you go out on your own after this, right?"

"Good. Because I don't want to go."


	3. Desire

"Are you sure you can't come?" Emma sighed into her phone, running her hand through her hair. "... okay... of course... I guess I'll find someone else to go with me... love you too. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned to Regina. "That was Walsh. He can't come to Henry's rehearsal tonight." Walsh had been cancelling on her a lot lately. It was getting frustrating.

"Will Henry be okay?"

Emma dismissively waved a hand. "He's not Walsh's biggest fan; he'll be fine. But now I have this extra spot." She paused. "You wanna come?"

"Oh, I don't know if he'd want me there..."

"Bullshit. The kid loves you. And there's no way in hell I'm leaving you here alone where someone could get in and hurt you again."

Regina smiled to herself. "I suppose I could tag along if you're sure."

Emma grinned. "You'd better get something a bit nicer on. Henry wants us in black tie. I got him to compromise with business casual."

"I'll be right back," Regina laughed. She went down the hall to Emma's bedroom to get some clothes. When she came back, she was wearing a pale blue button-down and black pencil skirt.

Emma smiled. "That's my favorite shirt." She ran a bit of the material between her fingers. It was strange seeing Regina wear it. It almost seemed like the brunette was... hers.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to wear it?"

"No," Emma said softly. She cleared her throat. "It looks better on you anyway."

Regina smiled. "Thank you."

They were interrupted by the door opening and Henry coming in. "Hey, what are you guys doing home so early?" he asked as he dropped his backpack by the door.

"Regina needed me to pick her up and I took the rest of the day off," Emma explained vaguely.

But Henry was happy with that. "I need to be at school at 6:00 for rehearsal."

"Righty ho. Hey, listen, Walsh called earlier and he won't be able to make it. But Regina says she'll come if that's all right with you."

Henry grinned. "Awesome. I can't _wait_ for you to see it!" he told Regina excitedly.

"I'm sure it'll be wonderful." Regina smiled warmly.

"I have to go get my script! I'll be right back." Henry ran down the hall to his bedroom.

Emma smiled after him, affection shining in her eyes. "He's super excited for this. It's the first time he's ever played a lead role."

Henry returned a minute later carrying a black binder. "Mom let me put it in a binder so it looked professional," he explained with a grin. "Can we get dinner before we go?"

"'Course, kid." Emma ruffled his hair. "Granny's?"

Regina frowned. "What's Granny's?"

"It's this diner down in the quieter part of town. They have the best cheeseburgers. And the waitress is a good friend of mine so sometimes she sneaks us discounts." She grinned mischeivously.

"I've never had a cheeseburger," Regina said. "Are they good?"

Henry's jaw dropped. "Get in the car _right now. _We _have_ to get her a cheeseburger."

Emma laughed. "Let's go. Grab your coat."

The three of them went down to the parking lot and loaded into Emma's bug. "So what's the play?" Regina asked Henry, turning around in her seat to face him.

"My English teacher has an old book of fairytales and she turned it into a play," he said enthusiastically. "I'm Prince Charming." His chest puffed out.

Regina laughed, reaching over to pat his knee. "Congratulations, Charming. Who's your princess?"

"Snow White. This girl Paige plays her, but she's blonde so she has to wear a wig."

Emma raised her eyebrows, but she kept her focus on the road and didn't say anything.

Finally, they parked in front of a small diner and walked inside. An old woman was sweeping the floor as a teenage girl with heavy makeup on was waiting the tables.

"Hey, Ruby," Emma greeted the girl. "We brought a friend today."

Ruby raised her eyebrows. "All right. Your usual booth?"

"If you've got it."

Ruby led them to a booth in the back corner. "Will it just be cheeseburgers for y'all tonight?"

"Yeah," Emma replied. "Thanks, Rubes."

"No problem. I'll get those in for you." Ruby went toward the kitchen, her hips swaying back and forth.

Henry was paging through his script, silently mouthing the lines to himself. Emma looked over his shoulder. He was at the part where Charming-

"Whoa, hold up," she said, snatching the binder from him.

"Hey!"

"You have a _kissing_ scene? You're in the seventh grade!"

Henry shrugged. "It's acting. The show must go on."

Emma handed him his script back, still smirking. "I'm gonna go get some hot chocolate. You want some, Regina?"

Regina shook her head. "I've tried it before. I hate it."

Emma raised one eyebrow. "You sure it wasn't coffee?"

Regina frowned. "There's a difference?"

"Yeah, coffee is disgusting. You gotta have the good stuff. Lemme get you mine."

"I... okay."

Emma stood up and went to the counter where Ruby was at the register. "Hey, I forgot to ask, can I get some hot chocolate?"

Ruby nodded. "Your usual?"

"Yeah. And I'm gonna need two."

Ruby looked up with one eyebrow raised. "For her?"

"We're just friends," Emma said firmly.

"Sure. _Friends_."

"What do you mean by that?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You're buying her dinner and taking her to your kid's play practice. And it's super obvious the way she looks at you. She likes you."

Emma frowned. "She does?"

"Duh. I'd say hit that before it's too late." Ruby handed Emma two steaming mugs of cocoa. "Enjoy."

"Thanks." Emma carried the cocoa back to the table, walking slowly so as not to let any of the hot liquid spill over the top. She carefully set one in front of Regina. "Let it cool for a minute before you drink it."

Regina swiped one finger through the whipped cream and licked it off, tasting it for a second. "Is that cinnamon?"

Emma frowned. "Yeah, it's a little quirk of mine. I'm sorry, I should have asked."

"No, it's fine. I like it." She took a sip, surprise coloring her face. "Wow. This is amazing."

Emma grinned. "I told you. Hot chocolate is way better than coffee."

"I've got to agree with you there."

Ruby came back to the table and set three plates in front of them with enormous burgers on them. Emma pulled out her phone. "Hold on. I've got to capture this moment: Regina's first cheeseburger."

Regina frowned at the entree in front of her. "Do I just... eat it with my hands?"

Henry nodded and picked his up, taking a huge bite. "Like this," he said around his mouthful of food.

Emma playfully shoved her son, hitting RECORD on her phone. "Okay, Regina, take a bite of heaven."

Regina hesitantly picked up the burger, holding it in her hands as though it were a dead animal. She took a small bite, letting it rest on her tongue for a moment before chewing and swallowing. She nodded thoughtfully. "It's good. I like it." She grinned into the camera, sticking up one thumb.

Emma ended the video with a laugh. "Now let's hurry. It's already 5:15 and Henry's school is a good twenty-minute drive." She dug into her own burger, relishing the greasy deliciousness of a Granny's cheeseburger.

Emma paid Ruby at the register when they'd finished and followed Regina and Henry back out to the car, rolling her eyes at a wink from Ruby.

They arrived at Henry's school at 5:58 and had to run to the auditorium. Mary Margaret, Henry's English teacher, was trying to organize a large gathering of unruly middle schoolers.

"Hey, Miss Blanchard!" Henry greeted his teacher. "Hey, David," he added, noticing that Mary Margaret's boyfriend was there as well.

Mary Margaret smiled at him. "Hi, Henry. I was afraid you wouldn't make it."

"I was at dinner with my mom and our friend, Regina," he explained, turning and pointing out the two women.

Mary Margaret looked up at them with a warm smile. "Hi, I don't believe we've met," she said to Regina, holding out a hand. "I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard, Henry's English teacher."

Regina shook her hand. "I'm Regina. I'm a friend of Emma's."

Mary Margaret looked like she was about to say more, but the door to the auditorium and a blonde girl a year older than Henry ran in.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she exclaimed, throwing her bag down on the chair next to Henry. "We got stuck in some major traffic."

Mary Margaret smiled. "Hi, Paige. I'm just glad you made it. I don't know what we'd do without our Snow White here."

Henry grinned sheepishly at Paige. "Hi, I'm Henry."

"Oh, you're the one playing Charming, aren't you?"

He nodded. "That's me. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to come over sometime this week and we could run lines?"

Paige smiled warmly. "I'd love to." She turned to the stage, where Mary Margaret was now standing to address the kids.

"All right, everyone, the kids from the elementary school will be here in half an hour, so in the meantime, I want to work with you guys on some of the bigger scenes. Can I have the leads up here please? Bring your scripts."

Henry, Paige, and another older girl took their scripts up to the stage. Paige had hers in a binder as well; a blue one. Emma grinned. That must have been where Henry got the idea.

The other girl, Ava, turned out to be playing the Evil Queen, who incidentally was named Regina.

"I will take away everything you love," Ava said to Paige, who was wrapped in Henry's arms. "I will send you to a land where there are no happy endings."

The scene was interrupted when the auditorium doors open and the younger kids filed in with their parents.

Regina - the real Regina - squirmed in her seat. "I have to use the bathroom." She got up and hurried out of the auditorium, leaving Emma alone to wonder what had made her so uncomfortable.

She soon found out. When Regina returned, there was a man watching her. She leaned over and whispered to Emma. "That's him."

Emma's eyes widened. "_Him_? As in the guy from earlier today?"

Regina nodded. Her face paled. "His name's Robin."

The man came over to them. "Abigail?"

Regina's face hardened. "Robin," she said coldly.

Emma placed a protective hand on Regina's knee. "What the hell do you want?"

"What are you so worked up about, lady?"

Emma stood up, moving so that her face was just inches from Robin's. She spoke quietly. "If you _ever_ lay a hand on her again so help me I will _end you_," she threatened.

Robin held up his hands defensively. "Look, I just came over here to apologize."

"I don't want to hear it," Regina said, narrowing her eyes. "And how can you be here with your son, knowing what you did just a few hours ago? Knowing what he would think if he knew?"

None of them were sure where it came from, only that there was a loud crack, and suddenly there was a red mark on Regina's face in the shape of Robin's handprint. "Don't you _dare_ bring Roland into this," he growled.

Mary Margaret approached them angrily. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you and your child to leave. I do _not_ tolerate violence in my rehearsal."

Robin glared at her and stalked away, taking his son's hand and walking out of the auditorium.

Mary Margaret frowned. "Are you all right?"

Regina nodded, touching the spot where Robin had slapped her. "Yes. I'm so sorry about that."

"What happened?"

"He... he and I have a brief history. I said something I shouldn't have."

"No," Emma said firmly. "What you said was completely justified. He was _way_ out of line."

"I can leave if you need me to."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "You did nothing wrong. Do you need some ice or anything."

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"Let me know if you need anything." Mary Margaret went back to the stage, leaving Emma and Regina sitting alone in the back row.

Emma sighed. "At least he doesn't know your actual name. That was smart of you to give him a fake."

Regina smiled weakly. "At least I did something right."

"Hey," Emma said softly, sitting down and taking Regina's hand. "You did nothing wrong; not since I've known you."

Regina snorted. "You have only known me two days."

"It feels like much longer." Emma smiled. She felt a warmth rush through her. She couldn't be sure, but it almost felt like it was coming from Regina's fingertips. Maybe Ruby was right after all...


	4. Revelation

Robin was getting close. Too close. Regina tried to get away, but she was stuck where she was. She couldn't move. No sound came out when she tried to scream. She was trapped.

"Regina!" a voice called in the distance.

Regina was shaken awake, feeling hands on her shoulder. She opened her eyes. She was on the floor, and Emma and Henry were leaning over her with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Are you okay?" Henry asked quietly.

"Yes." Regina sat up, feeling a splitting pain in the back of her head. "Ow."

"You hit your head?" Emma said.

"Yes, I think so."

"Let me get you some ice." Emma stood up and went to the kitchen. She came back a minute later with a package of frozen peas. She gently pressed the bag to the back of Regina's head. "That help?"

Regina nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly.

Emma turned to Henry. "Why don't you get back to bed? You've got school tomorrow."

Henry gave Regina a quick hug before hurrying back to his bedroom and turning off the light.

Emma helped Regina to her feet. "Were you dreaming about...?"

"Yes. It was awful." Regina wrapped her arms around herself. "I couldn't get away."

"Hey," Emma said quietly, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's over now. You're safe." She led Regina into the kitchen. "You want some hot chocolate?"

"If you're making it."

Emma made two steaming mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon. She pressed one into Regina's hands.

Regina savored the warmth as it spread through her hands, sipping the hot liquid. "Thank you."

"I'll stay up with you. At least until you fall asleep."

"You don't have to-"

"I promised I'd take care of you. End of story. Come on." She held out her hand, and Regina took it. They went into Emma's room and sat on the bed.

Regina picked up the book on Emma's nightstand. "What's _The Great Gatsby_?" she asked.

Emma's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "You mean you've never even heard of it? What rock have you been living under?"

Regina shrugged.

Emma settled under the covers, patting the space next to her. "Let me read to you. It'll take your mind off of things."

Regina smiled and climbed into the bed next to her.

Emma opened the book to the first page and cleared her throat. "_In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. 'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had..._"

Regina soon found herself dozing off to the soothing sound of Emma's voice.

Emma must have fallen asleep too, because when Regina woke up her head was leaning on Emma's shoulder and Emma's arms were draped loosely around her.

Regina would have loved to stay there until Emma woke up... but she had to pee. She reluctantly wriggled her way out of the bed, careful not to wake Emma, and tiptoed to the bathroom.

When she came back into the bedroom Emma was awake and stretching. "Morning," she yawned. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah, a bit better." She paused, twisting her fingers in front of her. "Thank you."

Emma smiled. "Of course." She yawned again and stood up. "I need some coffee. You want some?"

Regina wrinkled her nose. "I'm not a fan of coffee."

"Did you have it black?"

"Yeah..."

Emma grinned and looped her arm through Regina's. "Come on. Mine is way better. It's the only coffee I can drink."

Henry was already in the kitchen, shoveling cereal down his throat at light speed. "Slow down, there, kid," Emma teased, ruffling his hair as she walked past him to the cupboard. "Give yourself a hernia.

Henry stuck his tongue out at his mother, but he slowed himself down. "Morning, Regina," he said through a mouthful of Froot Loops.

Regina smiled and leaned over the counter across from him. "Morning, Henry. I never got to ask, how's Paige doing?"

That got him to slow down. His ears went red. "She's... good."

"Didn't you say she was coming over sometime?" Emma asked, turning on the coffee maker and coming to stand beside them. "I thought I heard you invite her."

"Yeah, um, I was gonna ask her to come tomorrow... if that's all right."

Emma laughed. "Sure, kid. But does she know you like her?"

"I do not _like_ her!" Henry said indignantly.

Regina raised her eyebrows. "From what I can tell she likes you too."

Henry frowned, throwing his bowl in the sink and hurrying back to his room without another word.

"We're leaving in twenty," Emma shouted after him, a sly grin coloring her face. She took the coffee pot out of the coffee maker and poured two mugs. Then she opened a cupboard and got out a million different things. Sugar, cream, caramel and chocolate syrup, and the milk that was already sitting out from Henry's breakfast. She passed a mug to Regina and gestured to the things on the counter. "Do whatever you want to it."

Regina frowned, tentatively reaching out and taking the chocolate. Between each addition to the coffee, she tasted it to see if it was right yet. Finally, after two chocolate infusions, one of caramel, two teaspoons of sugar, and three of cream, it was perfect.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "You _really_ hate coffee."

Regina blushed. "Sorry."

"It's not a bad thing. Just an observation." She poured a dash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar into her mug and took a sip.

"I guess I have a sweet tooth."

Emma grinned. "Yeah, I guess you do."

Henry came out of his room with his backpack on his back. "I'm ready."

"We've gotta get going," Emma said to Regina.

"I'll just get dressed and go."

Emma shook her head. "You can stay today."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's probably best. And I... I trust you." She paused and cleared her throat. "Lacey's in the apartment just next door if you need anything. Her number is by the phone. She might be a bit cranky though; she works the night shift at a bar downtown."

Regina smiled. She reached out to touch Emma's arm. "Thank you. I really mean it, Emma. Thank you."

Henry cleared his throat. "We're gonna be late, Mom."

Emma nodded. "Right. Okay. Let's go." She turned to Regina. "Have a great day. I'll be home at five."

"You too."

Emma and Henry left the apartment, locking the door behind them. Regina smiled to herself as she sipped her coffee.

The phone rang. Unsure if she should answer, Regina ignored it. The answering machine picked up. Curious, she approached the telephone, hearing Emma's pre-recorded voice answer the call.

Then the caller spoke. "Emma, hey, it's Walsh. I was just calling to see if you wanted to do dinner tonight. You know what, I'll just call your cell. Love you." He hung up.

_Walsh_. Regina had forgotten about him. She sighed and sat down on the couch. Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the apartment door. She jumped, and slowly approached the door.

She looked through the peephole. Robin.

Regina crept over to the phone, trying not to make any noise. She picked up the scrap of paper next to the phone and dialed Lacey's number.

"Hello?" a groggy voice answered. Regina couldn't place her accent, but it didn't matter right now.

"Are you Lacey?"

"Yeah." Lacey paused. "Oh, are you that girl Emma said was staying with her?"

"Regina, yes."

"What do you need?"

Regina frowned. "There's a man at the door. He wants to hurt me. I don't know what to do."

"Shit. Hold tight, I'll get rid of him."

Regina breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."

"It's no problem." Lacey hung up. A minute later, the knocking on the door stopped.

Regina tiptoed closer to the door to hear what was going on.

"What the hell?" Lacey said. "It's 7:30 in the morning. People are trying to sleep here."

"I am so sorry," Robin replied. "I just really need to talk to someone in this apartment."

"No one's home. They left ten minutes ago."

"No, I _know_ the person I need is inside."

Lacey sighed. "Look, the only people that live there are Emma and Henry and they left ten minutes ago. I saw them. I don't know how you got into our building, but it's time for you to leave."

There was a long pause. Regina held her breath. Finally, Robin sighed. "All right. I'm sorry to bother you."

Regina heard him walking away. Then Lacey knocked gently on the door.

Regina opened it. "Thank you so much, Lacey."

Lacey smiled. "Of course."

"Why don't you come in?"

"Thanks." Once she was inside, she sat down on the couch and looked Regina up and down. "Emma was right. You're _way_ too pretty to be a street baby."

Regina blushed. "She said that?"

"Yeah."

Regina smiled to herself, but Lacey caught it.

"You _totally_ like her, don't you?" Lacey exclaimed.

"No, of course I don't!"

Lacey raised one eyebrow with a smirk. "You can tell me, you know. I won't tell Emma."

Regina sighed and sat down beside Lacey. "Okay, maybe a little bit. But it's not even a big deal. She's with Walsh; she's happy."

Lacey smiled and patted Regina's leg. "People break up all the time. I've seen them together. I think it might be coming soon."

"Really? They looked perfectly fine when I met them."

"Was Henry there?"

"Yes."

Lacey nodded. "That's why. She never likes to show her problems in front of Henry. Thinks it'll hurt him."

Regina smiled. "She's a good mother to him."

"She really loves him. She'd do anything for him."

"I can tell."

Lacey stood up. "I should get going. Have a good day, Regina. Remember just call if you need anything else."

Regina smiled. "Thanks."

Lacey let herself out and locked the door again behind her.

Regina thought about what Lacey had said. If Walsh and Emma were having problems... did that mean she had a chance?


	5. Colors

Henry came home from school before Emma did. "Hey, Regina," he said, throwing his backpack in a chair at the kitchen table.

"Hi, Henry. How was school?"

He shrugged. "All right."

"That's good. You want anything to eat?"

"I'm good. Emma usually makes a big dinner on Fridays and I want to be hungry for that."

Regina smiled. "That sounds good."

"It is," Henry said with a grin. "I've gotta do some homework." He grabbed his backpack and went down the hall to his room, shutting the door and leaving Regina alone in the kitchen again.

Henry still hadn't come out of his room when Emma got home at five. She was carrying shopping bags and grocery bags. "Hey," she said, out of breath.

Regina switched off the TV and hurried over to Emma. "Here, let me help you."

"Thanks." Emma smiled. "How was your day?"

Regina chewed on her lip. "Uneventful," she lied. "What about you?"

"Busy. You'd be surprised at the number of people trying to ditch bail."

"Do you want any help with dinner?"

Emma shook her head. "Thanks, but Friday dinner is sort of my thing. I like to sort through my thoughts while I cook. Sort of an end-of-the-week unwinding thing, you know?"

Regina smiled. "Of course. What are you making?"

Emma made a motion of pulling a zipper across her lips. "Can't say. It's a surprise."

Regina melodramatically sighed and rolled her eyes. "It'll torture me until I find out."

"That's the idea."

Regina threw up her hands and left the room, making a big show of being sarcastically upset with Emma. She knocked gently on Henry's door.

"Come in," he called. He looked surprised to see Regina entering his room. "Hey, what's up?"

Regina shrugged. "How's your homework coming?"

"Pretty well."

"Can I...?" she asked, gesturing to the empty chair next to him in front of his desk.

He frowned. "No offense, but I don't really need any help."

"I know... but I was thinking maybe you could teach me some things. I never got a chance to go to school."

Henry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, an expression reminiscent of his mother. "Really?"

"I was expected to marry into money rather than earn it myself," she explained quietly.

He patted the chair next to him. "I'm doing biology right now. You wanna learn about that?"

Regina grinned and sat down beside him. "Sounds fascinating."

Henry moved his textbook so they could both see it. "We're learning about cells right now. This is what a cell looks like; they're microscopic. But there's billions upon billions of them inside you and they make up your skin, your heart, and everything else."

Regina nodded. "That's actually pretty cool."

"It is. So this is-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey, kid, phone for you," Emma said as she came into the room. She raised her eyebrows. "Hey, Regina."

Henry stood up and took the phone from Emma, going out into the living room.

"You helping him with his homework?"

"He's teaching me."

"You actually _want_ to learn about seventh grade biology?"

Regina blushed. "I never got to go to school."

Emma frowned. She came into the room and sat beside her. "Isn't that like, illegal?"

"Not where I lived. I was taught how to sit properly and not eat with my mouth full rather than how to multiply exponents and use a microscope." The words tasted foreign in her mouth. She didn't even know what they meant; she was just reading them off of Henry's homework out of the corner of her eye.

"Well... if you ever want to learn anything beyond a seventh grade education I can help you out. If you want," Emma added hastily.

Regina smiled softly. "Thank you."

"I should get back to dinner. It'll be ready in about twenty."

"Okay."

Emma left Regina alone in Henry's room. Regina flipped through the biology textbook, skimming through big words she didn't understand.

Henry came back in. "Sorry about that."

"Who was calling?"

His ears went red, another trait Regina noticed he shared with his mother. "Paige."

Regina smirked. "She ask you out?"

"No!" He paused. "No. She just wanted to know what day to come over so we can practice."

"Well? When is she coming?"

"Tomorrow." He hesitated. "So... cells?"

Regina chuckled. "Cells."

Henry explained to her all about the parts of a cell, what they did, and how cells worked together as a unit to make organs.

"Soup's on!" Emma called from the kitchen.

Henry grinned and closed his book. "Let's go. I wanna know what she made."

Regina nodded her agreement and they went into the kitchen.

Sitting on the plates was some sort of bun with ground meat covered in a red sauce dribbling out of the sides. There were bags of potato chips in the middle of the table and Emma was setting a glass of dark brown soda in front of Henry's place.

"What's this?" Regina asked hesitantly.

"Sloppy Joes!" Henry exclaimed, hurrying to sit down. He looked at Regina. "My mom makes the _best_ Sloppy Joes _ever_."

Regina tentatively sat down in front of her plate. "I've never had anything quite this... well, sloppy."

Emma grinned. "Here, have a beer."

"I've never tasted beer; is it good?"

"Well, it's not like wine and champagne, I can tell you that much." Emma grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator and handed one to Regina. "Bottoms up." She opened her bottle - a twist cap - and took a long swig.

Regina unscrewed the top and took a small sip, face puckering as the gold liquid touched her tongue. "It's very strong," she commented.

Emma laughed. "It's an acquired taste. You can have root beer if you want." She gestured to the soda in front of Henry.

"I think I'll stick to water, thanks."

"Suit yourself. Just know you're not getting the full Sloppy Joe experience."

Regina grimaced. "I think I'm fine with just the sandwich." She moved her hands toward it, trying to find a clean place to grip the now-soggy bread.

Henry and Emma were digging in, the sauce dribbling down their chins and between their fingers. Emma looked up. "Come on, Regina," she said with her mouth full. "Live a little."

"You know what, fine. I'll be a pig like you." She grabbed the sandwich, ignoring the sauce that dripped down her hands and back onto the plate, and sank her teeth in. She chewed and swallowed, surprised at the array of flavors that had come from an insanely messy sandwich. "Okay, that was actually pretty good."

Emma grinned and high-fived Henry. A small bit of sauce flew from their hands as they met. "We've corrupted her, kid. She's one of us now."

Regina raised one eyebrow. "You haven't corrupted me yet, dear. One meal won't break me."

"Guess I'll have to keep trying then. Oh! That reminds me, I got you something." Emma wiped her hands on a napkin and went to the counter to get the shopping bags. She pulled out a pair of stunning red leather gloves and a folded piece of paper. She handed both to Regina.

"Oh, they're gorgeous," Regina gushed, running her fingers over the smooth leather. "What's the occasion?"

Emma shrugged. "I saw them and they reminded me of you. Thought you might like them."

"I love them. But I can't take them. You've already done so much for me, and I-"

"You're putting them on right now," Emma pointed out.

Regina looked down, and saw that she had indeed already pulled the left one on and the other was halfway onto her right hand.

Emma laughed. "They're yours, guilt-free. It's a gift."

"I... I don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, no one's ever given me anything without expecting something in return. No one could be that generous."

Emma frowned. "Looks like you've been hanging out with the wrong people."

Uncomfortable talking about her past any longer, Regina searched for something else to talk about. She picked up the paper. "What's this?"

"Yeah, the store where I bought the gloves was hiring. Thought you might be interested so I grabbed you an application."

Regina smiled to herself. "I've never had to work before. This might be fun."

Emma looked thoughtful. "Yeah. It just might be."

After Henry was in bed, Emma and Regina sat in the living room working on Regina's application. "Date of birth?"

Regina chewed on her lip. Technically, she was millions of years old, but she couldn't tell the store that. "July 15th, 1977," she said, writing down a random date.

"Huh. You're older than me."

It took everything in her power not to laugh. "Are you surprised?"

Emma shrugged. "I dunno, I guess you always just seemed younger. Maybe it was just your innocence."

"Innocence?"

"Yeah, you know, how you've never had a Sloppy Joe, never had a job, that stuff."

Regina nodded. "That has nothing to do with my age."

"Right." She turned back to the application. "Past work experience... just write 'none'."

Regina wrote it down. "Home address..." she trailed off.

"Here, I'll write mine." She took the pen from Regina and wrote in an address.

"Does that mean this is my home now?" Regina joked.

"If you want it to be, then yes, it is," Emma said firmly.

Regina's heart accelerated and she could stop the smile that spread across her face. "Thank you. For everything."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." Emma's eyes were wide and sincere.

Regina liked Emma's eyes. They were extremely expressive and Regina could always tell what Emma was feeling based on her eyes. And the color. She'd never seen such a shade of green before. It was gorgeous.

Emma cleared her throat and turned back to the application, ending their eye contact and Regina's thoughts. "Phone number, you can have mine for that too."

Regina watched Emma write, the pen moving fluidly across the page, and she realized something that would surely change everything.

Despite everything that everyone had told her, everything that could and would go wrong, Regina was falling fast in love with Emma. And there was no one at the bottom to catch her.


	6. Storybrooke

"Hey, Regina, you okay?" Emma said as she walked through the front door. She'd just returned from the post office where she'd been mailing in Regina's job application.

Regina twisted her fingers nervously in her lap. "What if I don't get it?"

Emma sat down on the couch beside her. "You'll apply for another one. It's your first job, one rejection won't hurt you."

Regina looked intensely into Emma's eyes, trying to make the blonde understand. "I've never done well with failure," she said quietly.

Emma frowned. "Tell you what. You need to get your mind off this. I've got a cabin up in Maine. Henry and I have been meaning to go up there for a bit now, and I think now's the perfect time."

"I... are you inviting me to come with you?"

Emma smiled. "Of course. It'll be fun. And when we get home you'll know if you got it or not. 'Kay?"

Regina swallowed. "Okay."

"Henry!" Emma called. "Can you come out here?"

After a moment, Henry's bedroom door opened and a groggy twelve-year-old stepped out, rubbing his eyes. "It's nine in the morning on a Saturday. Is someone dying?"

Emma smirked and ruffled his hair. "What do you say we go up to our cabin? We can stay through the week."

Henry brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah, pack a bag. We'll leave in a few hours."

"Wait." Henry frowned. "Paige is supposed to come over today."

Emma glanced at Regina and shrugged. "Invite her to come with us. We've got room."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Why don't you call her now? And if her parents say no you can reschedule your date to when we get back."

Henry's ears were bright red as he walked to the phone. "It's not a date," he grumbled.

Emma turned to Regina as Henry took the cordless into his bedroom. "So, I'll pack you a bag?"

"Are you sure you've got room for me?"

"It's a three bedroom, and there's no way I'm letting Paige sleep in Henry's room, so if she's coming we might have to share." She hesitated. "If... that's all right with you, that is."

Regina chuckled softly. "Didn't we just share the other night?"

"Good point. Come on, you can pick out some stuff from my closet."

As they were about to go into Emma's bedroom, Henry poked his head out of his. "Paige's dad wants to talk to you," he whispered, holding the phone out to Emma.

Emma held the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, are you Henry's mom?"

"That I am."

The man on the other end coughed. "I'm Jefferson, Paige's dad. She tells me you've invited her to go to your cabin today?"

"Yeah, sorry it was such a last-minute invitation," Emma said, combing her fingers through her hair. "We just decided to go spur of the moment, since I have this week off."

"When would you be coming back?"

"We were gonna stay a full week, but you could pick Paige up early if you don't want her missing school."

Jefferson paused. "I suppose she could stay the week. She's pretty good about making things up for school."

Emma grinned. "Great, tell her to pack a bag then. We can pick her up when we leave, or you could drop her off whenever."

"When are you leaving?"

Emma glanced at the digital clock beside her bed. "We're planning on leaving around ten, but it might be a bit later depending on how long it takes everyone here to get packed."

"Oh, are you bringing your boyfriend along as well?" Jefferson asked.

"No, he's working this week. I'm bringing a friend of mine, Regina. You might have seen her; she was with me at the rehearsal the other night."

Jefferson was quiet for a moment. "Was she the one that got slapped by that man?"

Emma sighed. "Yeah. But you don't know the context, he was-"

"You don't have to explain it. I'd like to have a strong word or two with him myself for that."

"You and me both."

"I'd better help Paige pack. I'll drop her off at your place when she's ready. What's your address?"

Emma told him, and he wrote it down.

"Thank you for taking her," he said before they hung up. "She's very excited."

"Of course! Henry's pretty excited too; they've become pretty good friends since the play started."

"That they have."

The two said their goodbyes, and Emma put the phone back in its cradle. She went back into her room, where Regina had laid two outfits out on Emma's bed and was looking through the closet for more.

Regina looked up as she came in, an embarrassed flush coloring her face. "I hope you don't mind, I started looking already."

"Not at all." She ran her hand over the clothes on the bed. The pale blue button-down was there, and Emma smiled at the memory of their dinner at Granny's. Then she remembered what Ruby had said. I_t's super obvious the way she looks at you. She likes you._

When Emma looked up, Regina's eyes were on her, as though she were asking herself something. When Emma met her eyes, her gaze flitted quickly away. "I like this sweater," she said quickly, holding up a blue and black striped sweater.

"Jesus, I almost forgot I had that," Emma laughed, pushing away her thoughts for now. She rubbed the knitted material between her fingers. "It is nice. You should definitely wear it while we're out there."

Regina smiled. "I will."

An hour and a half later, the four of them were piled into Ruby's car (Emma had swapped with her for the week, as they couldn't all fit in her bug with their bags) and driving up to Storybrooke, Maine. Emma had made sure that everyone knew they'd be making exactly four stops in the duration of the ten-hour trip: one for lunch, two for gas, and an extra bathroom break.

As they merged onto the interstate, Henry was enthusiastically telling Paige all about their cabin in the backseat.

Emma glanced at Regina. "Do you wanna take over in a few hours?"

Regina blushed and looked at her lap. "I never learned how to drive."

"You wanna learn?"

Regina shook her head. "I'd rather just be a passenger. The thought of driving is... well, it's a bit scary."

Emma nodded, eyes flickering to her rearview. "I understand. People can be idiots on the road."

In the back, Henry and Paige had pulled out their play scripts and were running lines.

"I have a name, you know. I'm Prince James," Henry read in his Prince Charming voice.

"I prefer Charming," Paige replied as Snow White. "Now, are you going to let me go?"

"Maybe. Or maybe, I'll just take my ring and leave you here for the queen to find, _Snow White._"

"Wait! I'm sorry. James. _Please_, get me down from here. You can have your ring and all the other jewels you lost."

"I didn't _lose_ them, you _stole_ them." Henry corrected her.

Paige sighed. "Whatever. I'm sorry."

Henry made a crude motion of cutting down Snow White's net-trap with his imaginary sword.

Emma pulled into the McDonald's parking lot and turned to face the kids in the back. "Hey, Snow White, Prince Charming, think you can stop bickering for a few minutes while we grab some lunch?"

Henry grinned. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Paige agreed.

The gang got out of the car and went inside. Regina frowned. "Tell me they have salads."

"Sorry, Regina. But we'll go grocery shopping tomorrow when we're at the cabin and you can make us all a fabulous dinner if you want, okay?" Emma promised.

Regina sighed overdramatically. "I suppose I can live with that."

They ordered their food to go and went back to the car, as Emma wanted to keep a tight schedule in order to reach the cabin by dinnertime. Regina frowned as the car started moving again, unsure of how to go about eating her fish sandwich.

Emma meanwhile, was steering with one hand and scarfing down a cheeseburger with the other, the fixings spilling all over her lap. She finished her burger in five minutes, crumpling up the wrapper and stuffing it in the paper bag with one hand, eyes never leaving the road.

Regina's sandwich was still untouched and now cold. She sighed and turned to the backseat. "Anyone want this?"

Paige shrugged. "I guess I'll have it." She took the sandwich and bit into it, unfazed by the fact that it was hardly warm anymore.

Regina popped a fry into her mouth. "So, how long until we get there?"

Emma snorted. "We've still got a long way to go." She woke her phone, glancing at the GPS map on the screen. "Phone says seven hours fifty-four minutes, but that's assuming I'm going 60 the whole time, so probably six and a half if we don't take too long at gas stops."

Regina smiled. "We'll be there by dinnertime then."

"That's the plan." Emma paused and glanced at the bored kids in the backseat through the rearview. "Who wants to play a road game?"

It was almost 7:00 when the foursome walked through the front door of the cabin, sore and exhausted. Emma stretched her arms, pointing out the hall to the bedrooms. "Henry, go put your bag in your room and show Paige her room."

"Okay!" Henry smiled. "Follow me." He and Paige disappeared up the stairs, leaving Emma and Regina standing by the front door with their suitcases at their feet.

"Come on, our room's upstairs too. Think you can handle one of these?"

Regina smirked and effortlessly hoisted a suitcase into her arms. "Lead the way, Swan."

Emma showed her the master bedroom, on the opposite side of the upper wing from the two smaller bedrooms. There was a single queen-sized bed with a simple blue comforter, two closets, and a simple oak dresser with a vanity built into the top.

Regina smiled. "It's very cozy. I like it." She went over to the bed, still holding the suitcase. "Which side is mine?"

Emma grinned and threw her duffel bag into the left closet, leaving Regina the right. She kept her purse. "Come on, let's get something to eat and turn in early. There's a little market in town we can go to tomorrow after breakfast, but for now all I have is stuff for sandwiches."

"I'm so hungry right now I might even eat McDonald's," Regina joked, following Emma to the opposite bedrooms.

"Hey, you two, it's dinnertime," Emma called, smartly rapping Henry's door.

"Coming," came his muffled reply. A moment later, he and Paige exited the room and followed the two women down to the kitchen.

Emma pulled a slightly squashed loaf of white bread out of her purse, followed by a small jar of peanut butter and one of jelly. "I know it's nothing fancy, but Regina's promised to make us something nice tomorrow night after we get some groceries."

"I make a mean lasagna," Regina said with a grin.

Emma quickly spread four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on paper plates, cutting them all in half diagonally and pouring three paper cups full of root beer and one of water.

The four of them sat at the small kitchen table next to the door out to the deck, staring outside.

Emma smiled to herself as she watched Regina pick up her sandwich. Only Regina Mills could look regal while eaiting PB+J.

Regina took a dainty bite out of the corner, not noticing the small triangle of jelly that dribbled on the corner of her mouth.

Emma laughed and picked up a napkin. "You got a little something," she murmured, wiping away the jelly.

Regina smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Mom, can we stay up a little bit? It's only 7:30," Henry asked.

"All right, but be in bed by nine. Trust me, you'll thank me for it."

"Okay, we'll be upstairs!"

"Hey," Emma called after the two kids as they made for the stairs, "why don't you guys shower off now? A nice shower always helps after a long drive. Towels are in the linen closet."

"'Kay." Henry and Paige went upstairs, and a minute later the shower turned on.

"I just hope they know they're supposed to shower one at a time," Emma joked.

Regina laughed. "They're only twelve. They'll be fine."

"Come on, let's start getting unpacked before I crash."

The two went into the bedroom and started carefully folding their clothes and placing them in the dresser drawers. Regina noticed Emma pulling out her small makeup bag and putting it on the vanity.

"Emma?" she asked softly. "Do you think you could do my makeup tomorrow? I don't know how to use any of it."

Emma grinned. "Sure. But you know you're beautiful, even without it on right?"

"I..." Regina blushed. "I just want to try it."

"I guess I could help you out." Emma paused, listening to the sounds outside. "I think they're both done in the shower. You want it next?"

"Thanks." As Regina grabbed a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt and went toward the bathroom, Emma couldn't help but notice how much more comfortable she looked with the family as compared to just a few days before. She smiled to herself. Maybe Regina would stick around even after she started her new job. Who knows?


	7. Tattoo

**AN: ****So I finished this chapter and decided since it's so short to make it a midweek bonus update! A normal-length chapter will be posted this weekend (might be Sunday though as Saturday I've got prom)! Enjoy (:**

* * *

When Regina woke up, Emma was standing in front of the vanity, applying a last sweeping brush of black liquid on her eyelashes.

Regina stretched and yawned. "Morning," she said, slightly disappointed she'd been unable to wake up beside Emma again.

Emma capped her makeup tube before turning and grinning at Regina. "Morning, sleepyhead. You're the last one up. Henry's down showing Paige the dock."

Regina frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. "But it's only seven in the morning."

"Cabin fever. Does that to you; gets you too excited to sleep in." Emma paused, holding up the tube in her hand. "Did you still want me to teach you about makeup?"

Regina nodded and clambered out of bed. "I have to go to the bathroom first." She went down the hall, mind racing. She'd been dreaming about home again. This time, it was about the time she'd spoken with Tinkerbell. Tink was a fairy, a very low rank compared to an angel. But Regina had been desperate enough to go to her for advice. Tink had stolen fairy dust from the superior fairy and found something out about Regina's true love. She'd said that Regina's soulmate was the one with the lion tattoo. Unfortunately, as far as she knew, Emma's skin was clean.

She sighed and pushed all thoughts of her old kingdom from her mind. She finished in the bathroom and went back to the bedroom to stand beside Emma in front of the vanity.

Emma shook her head. "Sit down on the bed, and no looking in the mirror. I want it to be a surprise when I'm done."

Regina smirked. "All right. But tell me what you're doing so I can do it myself."

Emma grabbed her makeup bag and sat down on the bed, close enough to make Regina's breath hitch. "Now, normally you'd start with foundation and concealer, but I don't have any in your color so we'll have to skip that for now." She grabbed a few pencils in different shades, and Regina tensed.

"What are those for?"

"It's eyeliner," Emma explained. "It outlines your eyes and makes them pop. You just apply a bit on your lash lines and it's like _bam_ sexy eyes!"

Regina laughed. "All right then. Work your magic."

"Keep your eyes open, but look up." Emma carefully outlined the bottom of Regina's left eye, the brunette being careful not to blink or move. When Emma finished both eyes, Regina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Emma smudged the line just a bit with a smudging brush before pulling out an eye shadow compact. "You've got really pretty dark eyes, so this will make them pop," she explained as she lightly brushed a bit of the black powder over Regina's eyelid.

She filled in Regina's eyebrows with a brown pencil, and finally it was time for the mysterious tube about which Regina had so wondered.

"Okay, now for the mascara part you have to remain very still. Keep your eyes open." Emma carefully brushed the black mascara onto Regina's eyelashes, smirking in satisfaction at the way they lengthened and thickened. Emma Swan was a bargain hunter in many areas, but makeup was not one of them.

As a finishing touch, she outlined Regina's lips with a dark red lipliner and filled them with a lipstick of the same shade. "Okay, you're finished," she said, almost breathlessly.

Regina's fingers twitched nervously as she stood up and walked to the vanity mirror. The woman looking back at her nearly took her breath away. Her eyes looked bigger than her own, and were clearly defined against the olive tone of her skin. Her lips looked plump and full, standing out much more than they ever had. She broke into a smile. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Emma grinned. "Come on, let's get to the grocery store before Henry and Paige get too hungry. They'll be cranky if we make them wait too long for breakfast."

Regina laughed. "All right." She followed Emma down to the kitchen. Emma wrote a note for when Henry and Paige got back from the dock.

_Regina and I went to the store to get some stuff we need. Be back soon. Try not to break anything._

_-Emma_

Regina smiled to herself, remembering the note Emma had left for her on her first day with her. "Let's hit it." Emma grabbed the keys to Ruby's car and Regina followed her out.

They grabbed the necesseties, as well as a few extras Emma had grabbed. _She truly is a child at heart,_ Regina thought affectionately as Emma stood on her tiptoes to reach a box of Twinkies on the top shelf.

The grocery run was brief, Regina coaxing Emma into buying some foods of nutritional value along with her junk food and Emma scrunching up her face like a child as she complied. When they returned, Henry and Paige were sitting in the kitchen talking about the play.

"Miss Blanchard said we'd get the costumes next week," Paige said excitedly as Emma and Regina walked in, arms loaded with grocery bags.

"Mind helping us?" Emma grunted as she set her bags on the table.

The four of them loaded the groceries into the cabinets and the refrigerator until finally, everything was put away.

"So I'm thinking we have a light breakfast today and go for an early swim," Emma suggested. "Who's up for it?"

Henry and Paige exchanged a glance before Henry nodded. "We could go for that."

"Regina?"

Regina shrugged. "I'm up for anything."

"Awesome. I'll make us some toast. Henry, wanna grab me the Nutella?"

Emma popped some bread in the four-slice toaster and set out four paper plates. Henry handed her a large jar of brown spread.

Regina frowned. "What's Nutella?"

Emma looked at her with a crooked smile. "It's the most amazing thing ever. And here's the thing - it's _good _for you."

The Nutella looked suspiciously like chocolate as Emma spread it on the toast, but Regina didn't say anything. The jar said it was hazelnut, and she didn't feel up to protesting its ingredients.

Emma passed out the plates, Henry and Paige eagerly biting into the Nutella-covered toast.

Regina looked at hers uncertainly.

"Come on," Emma said, bumping her shoulder against Regina's. "I was right about hot cocoa, and about burgers, and about Sloppy Joes, and I'm right about this too."

Regina sighed. "You'll be the cause of my heart attack someday." She took a tentative bite, making a small noise of pleasure as she tasted the Nutella. It was the perfect balance of sweetness without being overwhelming, and the texture was perfect. "Wow," she said after a minute. "That is good."

Emma laughed. "Called it!" She held out her hand, palm open, to Henry.

Henry rolled his eyes and dug in his pocket, slapping a five dollar bill into her hand.

"You had a _bet_ on this?" Regina said incredulously.

Emma shrugged. "I bet Henry I could feed you something I could buy at a gas station and you'd love it."

"I didn't know you could buy Nutella at a _gas_ _station_!" Henry protested. "I mean of course she'd love Nutella. Everyone does."

Emma playfully shoved him with her shoulder. "I won fair and square and you know it."

"I already paid you so shut up," he grumbled.

Emma glanced at the digital clock on the oven. "Hurry up, I wanna go swimming."

Regina swallowed the last bit of her breakfast, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I don't have a bathing suit."

"I brought an extra for you. Come on, let's see if it fits." Emma turned to Henry and Paige. "You two should get changed into your suits, too. _In separate rooms_," she joked.

Henry rolled his eyes and went upstairs, Paige following behind. Emma led Regina back to their bedroom and rummaged in the dresser for a moment before pulling out two bikinis.

They were solid colors, one white and one black. Emma tossed her the black one. "You can change in the closet if you're uncomfortable."

Regina smiled briefly before retreating into the walk-in closet and shutting the door almost all the way. She emerged in the swimsuit, marveling at the part of her body she could see in the vanity mirror.

Emma was just pulling on a short cover-up, but not before Regina thought she caught a glimpse of something on her lower back. Something that was not a natural skin color. She frowned, but ignored it.

She grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on, but didn't bother putting a shirt over her swimsuit top. They met the kids in the kitchen and the four of them went down to the dock behind the cabin.

The dock was connected to a staircase that led down from the backyard of the cabin and extended about ten feet into the ocean. Emma said the water was maybe twenty feet deep at the end of the dock, perfect for diving.

And dive she did. She threw off her dress and dove headfirst into the water, toes pointed toward the sky. Regina caught a brief sight of the thing on Emma's lower back, but was again unable to make it out before it was out of her sightline.

Emma climbed back onto the dock, shaking out her hair, body dripping with water. Regina felt a stirring in her chest at the sight.

Then she saw it. She was finally able to get a good look at Emma's lower back as the blonde lay face down on a lounge chair to tan her back. It was indeed a tattoo. A creature, made up of intricate floral patterns, standing fiercely against the backdrop of a black shield. A lion.


	8. Kiss

Regina felt her heart leap into her throat, drumming so loudly she was sure Emma must be able to hear it. The moment she saw that tattoo, she was thrust into a memory.

_"Your soulmate is the one with the lion tatto," Tinkerbell said._

_"When will I find him?"_

_"I don't know. But keep in mind that True Love isn't always what we think it will be. It could come when you least expect it."_

_Regina sighed. "What if I never find him?"_

_Tinkerbell put her hand on Regina's shoulder. "You know fairy magic is fueled by belief, right?" Regina nodded. "Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."_

_"Thank you, Tinkerbell."_

_Tinkerbell smiled. "I'll leave before anyone discovers me here. I wish you luck in finding your True Love, Regina." She fluttered her glittering wings and flew out through the window, shrinking down to her original fairy form._

_Regina ran her fingers over her own white feathered wings, deep in thought. Would she ever find love? Where would it come from?_

"Regina?" Emma's voice jolted Regina from the memory. "You okay?"

Regina's face flushed a deep red as she came out of her haze. "Sorry, I was just thinking. I like your tattoo, by the way," she added quickly, gesturing to the ink on Emma's back.

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, there's a story there." She paused. "Later," she added, gesturing subtly to Henry and Paige standing nearby.

Regina raised one eyebrow. Then she stood up and stretched. "I think I'm going to take a dip." She sauntered over to the edge of the dock and slid gently into the cool water.

Beneath the water it was calm. There was no lion tattoo to scare her, no talk of soulmates or destiny. Just simple serenity. But she couldn't stay under for long. Just a few more seconds and she was rushing to the surface, gulping in air.

Emma took her hand and pulled her back onto the dock. "I was gonna get some lunch ready," she said, not letting go of Regina's hand.

Regina smiled softly. "Need any help?"

"I suppose I could find something for you to do."

"You go get things started and I'll dry off and meet you in the house in a minute."

"'Kay." Emma moved to walk back to the house, feeling herself stopped by her grip on Regina's hand. She seemed to have forgotten she was holding it. She blushed and let go, doubling her speed up the staircase to the small cabin.

Regina watched Emma's retreating figure with a small smile, her eyes focusing in on that tattoo. Was it just a coincidence, or could it mean...? Regina sighed and began toweling off. She wished she could talk to Tinkerbell. Even a short conversation with the fairy would make all this easier.

She wrapped the towel around herself once she was dry and followed Emma's path up the stairs into the cabin.

When she arrived in the kitchen, Emma was talking to someone on her cell phone. She'd put her dress back on already, much to Regina's disappointment. "...yeah, it was kind of a last-minute decision... sorry I didn't tell you... well you were working, you wouldn't have been able to come anyway!... yeah... I'll see you when we get home... yep... you too." She hung up the phone and ran a hand through her wet hair.

"Who was that?" Regina asked, stepping all the way into the kitchen.

Emma tossed her a t-shirt and some denim shorts. "Walsh," she sighed. "He says he's upset I didn't tell him we were coming up here."

"I'm sorry." Regina tugged the clothes on over her wet swimsuit.

Emma shrugged. "It's okay. We've fought before; we'll be fine." She opened the refrigerator. "How about homemade pizzas for lunch?"

Regina smiled, not mentioning the fact that she had no idea what a pizza was. "Sounds perfect."

Emma set out four small round frozen pieces of dough, a jar of marinara sauce, two packages of shredded cheese, and a few different kinds of meat and vegetables. "You wanna call in Henry and Paige for me?" she asked, glancing at Regina.

Regina went back to the top of the stairs. "It's lunch time!" she called down.

A moment later, both children came running up the stairs, pulling shirts over their heads as they barreled past Regina into the house. Regina followed them in with a smile.

"I'm starving!" Henry commented when he saw the ingredients. "Pizza?" He grinned.

Emma nodded. "We're gonna build our own. You ready?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Henry!" Emma scolded. "Watch your damn mouth." She gave him a crooked grin and he rolled his eyes.

Henry grabbed one of the round crusts and a spoon. "Pass me the sauce?"

Emma slid the glass jar across the counter to him and he carefully spread some of the red sauce over his crust. He sprinkled some shredded cheese over it and added some thin, round slices of meat on top and a few mushrooms.

Paige wrinkled her nose. "I hate pepperoni," she said, pointing to the meat on Henry's pizza. "It's all slimy and gross."

Henry grinned wickedly. He picked up a pepperoni and threw it at her. It landed in her hair and she shrieked.

"Henry!" Emma reprimanded him. She carefully pulled the meat slice out of Paige's hair and ate it.

"Gross!" Henry said.

Emma grinned. "Delicious."

Regina, still unsure exactly what to do, decided to follow Henry's example - mostly. She had to agree with Paige; the pepperoni looked pretty disgusting. After spreading the sauce and the cheese, Regina arranged mushrooms, tomatoes, and a few pieces of sausage atop her pizza, making sure they were all spread evenly.

"Look at you, little Van Gogh," Emma teased, bumping Regina with her shoulder. "I never thought someone could be so intense about pizza."

Regina shrugged. "I like things to be orderly," she said simply. After Emma and Paige had made their pizzas - an entirely meat one and a veggie one respectively - Emma put the four pizzas on a tray and shoved it in the oven.

"All right, you two go do whatever. They'll be ready in a half hour."

"Come on, I'll show you my Wonder Woman comics," Henry enthused, leading Paige up the stairs.

Emma leaned back against the counter. "So... what are you making for dinner?"

"I was thinking about a beef and potatoes dish. And maybe some chocolate cake for dessert."

Emma raised her eyebrows, impressed. "How about brownies?" she amended. "Bit less messy, bit more kid-friendly, you know?

Regina nodded silently, having never eaten a brownie before.

"I gotta be honest, I thought you were gonna make some vegetarian meal or something."

Regina smiled to herself, shaking her head. "That was my mother's job." She didn't elaborate. She couldn't talk about her mother to Emma.

Emma grabbed a bit of shredded cheese off of the counter and popped it into her mouth.

Regina wrinkled her nose. "That's highly unsanitary, dear."

Emma indignantly threw another bit of cheese at Regina. It landed in her hair. Regina slowly picked up a stack of pepperonis and hurled them one after another at Emma, watching with sinister pleasure as they stuck to her clothes, skin, and hair.

And they continued like this, flinging food back an forth, until a large glop of marinara sauce landed on Regina's white t-shirt. Without hesitation, she tore the shirt off, leaving her in her bikini top once again.

Emma scooped up some sauce in a plastic spoon and bent it back, grinning as it splattered all over Regina's breasts.

And then... neither of them were sure how they got there, but they were there. Standing in the kitchen. Arms around each other. Kissing.

Emma tasted like spicy pepperoni and cheese and a hint of sweetness Regina couldn't place.

She could have stayed there forever, softly kissing Emma, feeling the blonde's hands on her waist, but they were interrupted by the loud blare of the oven announcing that their pizzas were done.

Emma jumped out of Regina's embrace, looking horrified at what she'd just done. Her mouth moved, but nothing came out.

Regina scooped her shirt off the ground and hurried upstairs to the bathroom and locked the door. She paced back and forth in the small room, fingers combing through her long, damp hair. What had just happened? Did it mean anything? Could Emma feel the same way she did?

She shook her head. Emma had Walsh; she loved him. She wouldn't leave him for some street rat like her. Because that's all she knew of Regina. A piece of street garbage.

Regina looked in the mirror. Here, she could see her wings. She hadn't looked at them recently; just looked past them as she always had. But now she examined them.

They were black. Could it be they were darker than when she had first arrived, or just a trick of her eyes? She folded them halfway around herself, gently running her figners through the downy feathers of the underside of her wings.

"I'm sorry, Mother," she whispered, feeling tears in her eyes. "I let you down." She paused. "But I'll come back to you. I will."

There was a knock on the door. "Regina?" It was Emma. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Regina lied.

"Look. I... I'm sorry about what happened in the kitchen. I don't know where it came from. I don't wanna freak you out or anything."

Regina bit her lip. "Okay."

The doorknob jiggled. "Can I come in?"

Regina hesitated, then unlocked the door. Emma came in and closed it behind her. "Did it... mean anything to you?" she asked quietly.

"I... don't place any merit in it."

"So it didn't?"

"I don't believe it carried any significant import," Regina said, skirting around her answer.

"Regina, it's a simple 'yes' or 'no' question. Did it mean anything to you?" Emma was getting frustrated, annunciating each word with care.

Regina looked away, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "No," she said finally. It was only half true, but she refused to admit it even to herself. "Did it mean anything to you?"

Regina saw the faintest glimmer of something in Emma's shimmering green eyes, but it vanished before she could tell what it was. "No."

"Well, it's settled then."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Emma shifted her weight on her feet. "Lunch?"

"Lunch."


	9. Woman

The rest of the vacation proved to be fairly uneventful, aside from Emma being unable to look at Regina for too long without blushing, and Regina trying her best not to think about their kiss - to no avail.

Regina was exhausted when they finally arrived home after dropping Paige off at home. She went straight to the couch and collapsed face-down in the familar upholstery.

"I'm gonna go grab our mail from Lacey," Emma said as she dropped her duffel bag by the front door. Henry grabbed the bag as Emma left, hauling both it and his suitcase down the hall and throwing them in the respective bedrooms.

Regina didn't move until Emma came back, holding up a letter with a triumphant smile. "A letter for one Regina Mills. From the hiring people at Queen."

Regina sat straight up. "I got it?"

"You got it!"

Regina didn't think twice before throwing herself into Emma's arms. It was only after Emma didn't hug her back that she pulled away, awkwardly wringing her hands in front of her. "Sorry."

Emma shook her head. "Let's go to the mall tomorrow," she said, changing the subject back to Regina's job. "I'll get you some things to wear to work, maybe get your hair done. It'll be great."

"You've already done so much for me, Emma."

Emma smiled. "You deserve it. I'd do it for any friend," she added with a shrug.

Regina bit her lip. Of course. She'd been foolish to think she was anything special; especially to someone like Emma Swan. "Well then... thank you." She turned and lay back down on the couch, arms wrapped around herself.

"You're... sleeping on the couch again?"

"Are you all right with that?"

Emma frowned. "I guess I just... well I kinda liked sharing is all." She shook her head. "Never mind. G'night." She made to walk to her room.

Regina stood up. "I could share. If you're all right with that, of course."

Emma grinned and went into the bedroom, Regina following behind her. Regina couldn't sleep; not after the excitement of learning she got the job and her ever-growing anxiety about her feelings for a certain blonde. So she watched Emma sleep.

Her breathing was even and soft, and her hair fell over her face. Regina sighed quietly. Walsh was a lucky man. She could only hope he knew that.

"Yeah, I'm free tonight."

Regina frowned, blinking her eyes to adjust to the bright light in the room. Emma was sitting on the edge of the bed talking on the phone.

"Where were you thinking?... yeah okay... I'll see you tonight... love you too." She hung up and turned to Regina. "Morning," she said with a smile.

"Walsh?"

Emma's smile faltered a bit, but she recovered quickly. "Yeah, he's taking me to dinner tonight after we're done at the mall."

Regina nodded, ignoring the slight tug she felt on her heart. "When are we going again?"

"The mall opens at ten, so I was thinking we grab breakfast at Granny's and then go?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Righty ho; get dressed and I'll grab Henry."

Regina bit her lip. "Could I use your makeup again?"

Emma nodded slowly. "Yeah. But just remember you don't need it to look beautiful. You already do."

"Thank you." Regina smiled.

After getting dressed, Regina tried somewhat successfully to replicate the makeup Emma had given her at the cabin. She frowned at her reflection. She may have gone a bit heavy on the eye pencil, but she deemed it fairly good for her first time.

Emma knocked on the bedroom door. "You decent?"

"Yes, you can come in."

Emma came in, eyebrows raising. "Get a bit excited?"

Regina blushed. "I've never done it myself before."

"Here, let me help you." Emma grabbed a thin, moist wipe from a box on the makeup table and gently dabbed it around Regina's eyes. It was the first time Emma had touched her since the kiss, and Regina didn't miss that. She felt her cheeks grow warm beneath the blonde's gentle touch.

When Emma was finished, Regina looked significantly less like a raccoon. She smiled. "Thanks."

"Of course." Emma turned to Henry, who had been standing in the doorway. "Let's get this show on the road."

"What do you mean you've never had a Cinnabon?" Henry exclaimed. He turned to Emma. "Mom, we _have_ to get her one today."

Emma grinned, glancing at her son through the rearview mirror. "Guess we do, don't we? And hey, sit back in your seat. You're gonna break the seatbelt."

Henry frowned and retreated from where he'd been leaning so far forward that his head was between Regina and Emma in the front seats.

Emma parked in the Granny's parking lot and walked inside with Regina and Henry behind her. "Hey, Ruby," she greeted the long-legged brunette. "I got three."

Ruby smirked. "You brought her again," she observed with a wink, casting a glance to Regina.

Emma gave Ruby a warning stare, and the girl led the three to their table without another word on the matter.

After a hearty breakfast, they all loaded themselves back in the Bug and headed for the shopping mall. "All right, first thing's first," Emma said as they walked in. "You need a new wardrobe. Clothes for the working woman."

Regina smiled. "Sounds great."

In the first store, Emma immediately grabbed her a blazer and slacks combination. "Try these on," she instructed. "I'll ask the clerk for some more stuff."

Regina walked uncertainly into the fitting room. Was she supposed to strip naked in public in this tiny little stall? Chewing on her lip, she slowly removed her clothes and dressed in the red button-down shirt and the pantsuit.

As Regina looked at herself in the mirror, she felt a stirring in her stomach. She was changing; becoming a new person. No longer a princess, no longer a good girl. She was, as Emma said, a working woman.

She jumped at a knock on her stall door. "Are you decent?" Emma asked.

Regina unlocked the door and stepped out, feeling a twinge of satisfaction at the way Emma's eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp breath. "How do I look?" Regina asked, turning so that Emma could see the back as well.

"You look... wow."

Regina smiled at her constant ability to take Emma's breath away. Back home, she knew she was beautiful, but she was never allowed to acknowledge it. That would be selfish, after all. She'd never even been allowed to look in the mirror but once a day.

Emma held up a few more things on hangers. "The lady gave me these. You wanna try 'em on?"

Regina nodded and took the items back into the fitting room with her. As she looked herself up and down in the mirror, her wings fluttered and tickled her arms with the soft feathers. She trailed her fingers along the wings absent-mindedly as she stared at her reflection. As much as she'd changed, her wings would always be black. And now... she might even be okay with that.

"This is really good!" Regina exclaimed as she took a bite of the cinnamon roll. Henry had been so enthusiastic about her trying one from this shop - Cinnabomb, she thought it was - and now she knew why. "We had these at home but I was never allowed to have one."

Emma frowned. "Why not?"

Regina shrugged. "It would be selfish. And my mother didn't tolerate selfishness."

"Sounds like your mom was a bit of a hardass."

"I... don't know what that means."

Emma shook her head with a smirk. "Never mind." She stood up. "Ready to get your hair done?"

Regina nodded. "I guess so."

"Let's hit it."

The next thing she knew, Regina was sitting in a stiff chair with a black cape over her body, wings folded neatly beneath her.

"So what are doing today?" the stylist asked. Her voice was much too nasal for Regina's liking.

"I..." Regina realized she hadn't actually given the haircut much thought. Her eyes fell upon a catalog sitting on the counter in front of her. The woman on the cover had hair that fell just below her chin. "Like this," she said, picking up the catalog to show the stylist. "Just like this."

"All right, I'm gonna have you sit back for me. It should take about an hour, okay?" the stylist added, turning to Emma.

Emma nodded. She leaned over to talk to Regina. "I'm gonna take Henry to the video game store," she said. "We'll be back in forty-five minutes, okay?"

Regina smiled. "Have fun." She tried her best to relax in the chair as she heard the first _snip snip snip_ of the scissors and watched the last bit of her old self fall gently to the floor.


	10. Proposal

Regina's stylist was just finishing the haircut when Emma and Henry returned to the salon. "That looks amazing," Emma said, eyes widening when she saw the short length Regina had chosen.

The brunette in the chair grinned. "Thank you."

The stylist dried and fluffed Regina's hair, and the end product was... well there was no other word but stunning. Emma felt her heart skip a beat when Regina turned to her with a wide grin. Her mind went straight back to that kiss they'd shared in the cabin's kitchen.

"Do you like it?" Regina furrowed her brow, looking almost worried that Emma would hate it.

"God, Regina you look spectacular." She held out her hand to help Regina out of the chair, turning away to hide her blush when she let it linger too long.

Regina's eyes lit up at Emma's comment. "Thank you."

"You wanna stay longer or are you ready to go home?"

"Let's go home," Regina said with a smile.

Emma paid for the haircut and they drove back to the apartment. Henry went straight to his room, mumbling something about texting Paige, and Regina all but fell onto the couch.

"I've gotta go get changed for dinner," Emma said, glancing at the clock. "Walsh is gonna be here in about ten minutes. I'll have Lacey come over and take care of Henry so you shouldn't have to worry about him."

Regina nodded.

"I, uh, might spend the night, so if you don't see me by midnight I'm at Walsh's place."

"Have a good time, dear."

Emma offered her a half-hearted smile. "Thanks."

A few minutes later Emma came out of her bedroom in her dress - a tight black leather number - to find Regina still sitting on the couch. Lacey knocked and Emma let her in. "Hey," the girl said with a smile. "You look great, Em."

"Thanks. And hey, thanks for coming over tonight."

Lacey shrugged. "'S no problem." She glanced over to Regina, eyes widening. "Oh my god, I _love_ your hair!"

Regina grinned. "Thank you."

Emma nodded. Her phone chimed, and she checked it. "Gotta go, Walsh is downstairs. See you all later. Bye, Henry!" she called down the hall before she went out the door and down the stairs to yet another dinner with Walsh.

Lacey sat down next to Regina. Her brow furrowed. "You okay? That guy isn't still giving you any trouble, right?"

Regina shook her head. "Not lately. I think he's finally learned to leave me alone."

"Good. He didn't seem like a good guy at all."

The girls were interrupted by Henry coming out of his room and into the kitchen. "Hey, Lacey," he said as he passed them and went straight for the pantry.

Lacey stood up and closed the cupboard door before he could grab anything. "Hey, dude, we're gonna be having dinner soon so _no snacks_."

Henry pushed his lip into a pout but didn't argue.

"How's pizza sound to everyone?"

Regina perked up a bit at that; pizza was one of the few things she actually knew now thanks to Emma. "I could eat pizza," she agreed.

Lacey nodded and grabbed the phone to place the order.

Regina glanced at the clock. Emma and Walsh would be at the restaurant by now. She wondered what they were talking about...

Emma was speechless. There he was, her boyfriend of eight months, kneeling in front of her with a glittering ring in his hand.

"Emma, will you marry me?"

Emma bit her lip. "I... I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I mean, don't you think it's a little fast? We've only been dating eight months, for Christ's sake."

Walsh stood up with a sigh. "You don't have to decide anything tonight. But I love you, and I love Henry, and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you guys." He took her hand and gently slipped the ring onto her finger. "Keep this. Whether you say yes or no, I want you to have it."

Emma chewed on the inside of her cheek, biting hard enough to draw blood. She stared at the sparkling diamond on her finger. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask."

"Can you... can you take me home?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course." Walsh paid for dinner and they left the restaurant at only 9:30.

After dinner, Henry had gone straight back to his room, leaving Regina and Lacey alone to chat.

"You still like Emma?" Lacey prodded.

Regina shook her head. "It only lasted for a little bit. I'm over it by now," she lied, praying Lacey wouldn't see through her.

"I have someone you might be interested in. If you're looking for someone, that is."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You want to set me up?"

"Yeah, she's _great_. You'll love her."

"Tell me about her."

Lacey grinned. "Her name's Daniela. She's really pretty and she works at a farm out in the country teaching kids how to ride horses."

Regina bit back a gasp. Of the few things she missed of home her horse, Rocinante, was at the top of the list. She felt her wings flutter just thinking about the feeling she got when she rode him. But when her mother found out she'd made Regina stop at once; riding a horse just because it was fun was selfish. "Daniela sounds wonderful," she agreed.

"Do you want me to give her a call for you? You could do dinner next week."

Regina thought a moment. "Sure. Why not?"

Lacey clapped her hands twice and pulled out her cell phone to call her friend.

It was then that the door opened and Emma came home. Lacey smiled at her in greeting before disappearing down the hallway to talk to Daniela.

Walsh's eyes narrowed when he saw Regina. He turned to Emma. "She's still here?"

The color drained from Emma's face. "Can we talk in the hall?" She ushered him out of the apartment, leaving Regina sitting on the couch and wondering what she'd done.

"She needed my help."

"Yeah, for one night, maybe two. It's been a _month_, Emma."

Emma sighed. "She's become a good friend. I can't just throw her out on her own."

"You know, sometimes you're just too chivalrous for your own good."

Emma snorted. "Please. Look, I don't see what the big deal is. What problem do you have with Regina?"

"I don't have a problem with Regina!" Walsh exclaimed. "I have a problem with you living with a pretty woman without telling me about it!"

Emma recoiled as though from a physical blow. "_That's_ what this is about? You're _jealous_ of her?" She tried her best not to think about that kiss, about why his suspicions were correct, but the memory of Regina's lips wouldn't leave her. She chewed on her bottom lip and hoped he wouldn't see right through her.

"I have every reason to be, don't I? You cheated on Henry's dad with that girl you told me about. What's stopping you from doing it to me?"

"I think it's time for you to go."

"Couldn't agree more." Walsh turned and stormed off.

Emma stared at her hand, the one where Walsh's ring sat. She sighed and went back inside.

"Is he mad at me?" Regina asked quietly.

Emma shook her head. "He's mad at me. But he'll be fine."

Lacey came out of the hallway with a wide grin. She turned to Regina. "Next Friday at 7:00," she said. Then she turned to Emma. "See you later, Em." She grabbed her purse from the kitchen counter and made a quick exit.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "What's next Friday?"

Regina blushed. "Lacey thought it would be a good idea to set me up on a blind date with this friend of hers. She sounded lovely so I thought I'd give it a shot."

Emma hoped that Regina couldn't see her face fall. She smiled. "That sounds awesome." She hurried to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. After a moment's hesitation, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. "Walsh?" she said quietly. "I'm sorry. About everything."

Walsh sighed. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"I promise you there's nothing between Regina and me." Her stomach churned as she thought about Regina on a date with some stranger, about Regina marrying a faceless woman in a white gown. She lifted her hand to her lap and watched in fascination as the ring on her finger caught the light in so many different ways. "And I want to answer your question from tonight." She took a deep breath.

"Yes."


End file.
